LINK WITH ASIA New Athletics Event Mooted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31304, 25 February 1967, Page 15

LINK WITH ASIA New Athletics Event Mooted

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

ADELAIDE.

The Amateur Athletic Union of Australia will investigate the possibility of holding Australasia-Asia athletics championships.

The union made the move yesterday on a proposal by its secretary, Mr A. Hodsdon.

The championships, as suggested, would be held at intervals of two years and generally run along the lines of the European athletic championships. They would be held in the year before and in the year after the Olympic Games. The first meeting would be held, if practicable, in 1969.

Mr Hodsdon, who moved the motion, said that on general indications Australia would not be welcomed in the present Asian Games.

“New Zealand made application but it was rejected without much ceremony,” he told the conference. Mr Hodsdon said the attitude of the Asian people was that they had started the games and did not want anyone else to run them.

However, he explained, this attitude would not prevent the Asian countries from giving full consideration to an Australasia-Asian Games.

On present understandings, he said, Japan would support the games as well as South Korea, Formosa and Hong Kong. He also thought Indonesia would be willing to take part.